LYCEUM BICYCLE MARATHON
The Lyceum Bicycle Marathon held between Friday 24th and Sunday 26th March at The Lyceum in Hamrun was another resounding success and went to great lengths in aid of the Muscular Dystrophy Group and Id-Dar tal-Providenza. The only bad thing about it was that Headmaster Mr Tony Caruana Smith could not attend his first marathon in office because he was recuperating from unexpected surgery in hospital, but true friends and colleagues were still relieved to hear he was doing well on the road to recovery. In the circumstances, Assistant Headmaster Charles Saliba did a great job of running the marathon with the unstinting help of his colleagues and students.
The marathon was well attended, especially in the evenings, but it was not just for the presence of countless well-established singers. There were a number of other events that had been put up by the organisers to make sure that most tastes would be well met: exhibition, bazaar, plants, car boot sale and more. And all the time, the protagonists of the Lyceum Bicycle Marathon – the cyclists – were slogging it out around the football ground. Their dedication was indeed commendable.
Of course, the most important aspect for which the marathon was organised and held was the financial assistance to this year’s two beneficiary organisations. In this aspect, most of all, the marathon was an unqualified success, with more than Lm12,000 collected and still counting while ALPS News was going to print.
Well done, all! The Association of Lyceum Past Students is proud to have been associated with the Lyceum Bicycle Marathon, not least with its organisation and publicity.
FOUNDATION DAY CONCERT
As already reported in this newsletter, the Association’s Foundation Day Concert this year had to wait until 1st April because there was too much going on in March. But it was certainly worth waiting for.
The Choir of the University of the Third Age, soprano Claire Caruana, tenor Andrew Sapiano and baritone Louis Cassar, all accompanied by pianist Yolanda Micallef under the baton of Mro Joe Fenech, gave the audience some very popular pieces that went down very well. But this time the programme presented three very welcome additions: the Junior College Musical Ensemble conducted by Mro Manoel Pirotta; harpist Esmeralda Galea Camilleri; and Lyceum Fourth-Former Waylen Dimech, who danced with his girlfriend Annalise Zammit to the tunes of Beauty and The Beast.
It may have been lost on some people, but the programme of this year’s Foundation Day Concert provided important links among three different stages of life: Lyceum student, Junior College students and the more senior students who have not let their age keep them back from enhancing their knowledge. It is hoped that future Foundation Day Concerts will present more such links.
At the end of the concert the occasion was also taken for ALPS President George Stagno Navarra to present mementoes to representatives of the several schools that took part in the association’s Pitazz u Lapes campaign in aid of the children of the Arequipa Mission in Peru, run by the Missionary Society of St Paul.
A REMINDER …
… of the annual ALPS spiritual retreat at Manresa House, just outside Victoria in Gozo, which will take place between Friday 19th and Sunday 21st May. The limited number of double rooms available have now been taken up, but one-day attendance on the Saturday (or attendance without accommodation) is still possible, practically unlimited. Attendance at the morning and afternoon sessions with lunch only will cost Lm4.50 per person, or Lm9 to include a single room for an afternoon rest. And don’t forget the probability that the highlight of the event will be a meeting with the new Bishop of Gozo, Mgr Mario Grech.
OPERA IN GOZO
No, we are not plugging Gozo as a tourism destination in its own right (although it fully deserves it), but it so happens that this item is about the three one-act operas – Suor Angelica by Puccini, Cavalleria Rusticana by Mascagni and I Pagliacci by Leoncavallo – that are to be presented in just one evening, Saturday 28th October 2006, at the Astra Theatre in Victoria.
Too early, some might say, but that’s not quite true. Tickets have already been blocked for the evening. A package is being offered at Lm49 per person which will include stalls tickets for the operas; accommodation at the Hotel San Andrea in Xlendi; high tea on Saturday afternoon, breakfast and lunch on Sunday (drinks not included); and all transport from Valletta, in Gozo and back. Ferryboat fees are not included, and using one’s own transport will get a refund of Lm4.
Of course there will be more details in future issues of ALPS News, but procrastinating on booking will cause disappointment. Phone Joe Fenech on 21 410632 for booking and more details.
PLEASE HELP
On Friday 12th May, starting at 7.30 p.m., Capua Palace in Sliema will host an auction sale of works of art, featuring some of the best-known Maltese artists, and antiques in aid of Dar il-Kaptan of the Foundation for Respite Care Services.
DUAL CITIZENSHIP
A USA-Malta Group (UMG) has been set up to coordinate efforts of USA-born Maltese who had to renounce their United States citizenship and would like to “come back home”. This was before Malta and the USA signed an agreement allowing dual citizenship in the 1990s. UMG says that when this agreement was signed those who had already renounced their US citizenship were not included in the agreement. It feels that these persons should be offered their citizenship back. Those who would like more information should visit www.MaltaTalk.com, and any US-born persons who had to renounce their citizenship are invited to register with the UMG on USAMalta@gmail.com.
MEMBERSHIP FEES
Individuals who have not yet done so are invited to send in their membership fee of Lm3 for 2006 to Treasurer David Abela at “Juniper”, Triq Ganni Vella, Tal-Qattus, Birkirkara BKR 13.
Contributions towards defraying the costs of printing The Chanticleer are also still being accepted
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